Slovak hip hop is said to have begun in 1988. The first rap release in Slovakia was done by Rap Steady Crew from Košice in 1993, followed by Jednotka slovenskej starostlivosti (JSS) with their album Kompromis in 1997 as well as the duo Trosky releasing their record. Long-running crews are Lúza and Drvivá Menšina, who perform together as Názov Stavby with DJ Hajtkovič. Vec, formerly of the seminal duo Trosky, is considered by many today to be the most influential figure within hip hop music in Slovakia, although newer acts such as A.M.O, MC Vrabec, Čistychov, Kontrafakt have also gained significant popularity since 2003. Slovak hip hop is considered to start becoming popular when Kontrafakt releases their first video "Dáva mi" in 2003 and it topped many video charts in Slovakia and Czech Republic. Kontrafakt's platinum debut album E.R.A. (also with albums Reč Naša by Názov Stavby and Trosky by Trosky) is considered to be one of the albums with the "classic" status.

The most controversial and prominent Slovak rapper and singer Rytmus is among the best selling artists in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, with some of his music videos reaching more than one million views.[1]

1.
Slovakia
–
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Slovakias territory spans about 49,000 square kilometres and is mostly mountainous. The population is over 5 million and comprises mostly ethnic Slovaks, the capital and largest city is Bratislava. The Slavs arrived in the territory of present-day Slovakia in the 5th and 6th centuries, in the 7th century, they played a significant role in the creation of Samos Empire and in the 9th century established the Principality of Nitra. In the 10th century, the territory was integrated into the Kingdom of Hungary, which became part of the Habsburg Empire. After World War I and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a separate Slovak Republic existed in World War II as a client state of Nazi Germany. In 1945, Czechoslovakia was reëstablished under Communist rule as a Soviet satellite, in 1989 the Velvet Revolution ended authoritarian Communist rule in Czechoslovakia. Slovakia became an independent state on 1 January 1993 after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The country maintains a combination of economy with universal health care. The country joined the European Union in 2004 and the Eurozone on 1 January 2009, Slovakia is also a member of the Schengen Area, NATO, the United Nations, the OECD, the WTO, CERN, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Visegrád Group. The Slovak economy is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe and its legal tender, the Euro, is the worlds 2nd most traded currency. Although regional income inequality is high, 90% of citizens own their homes, in 2016, Slovak citizens had visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 165 countries and territories, ranking the Slovak passport 11th in the world. Slovakia is the world’s biggest per-capita car producer with a total of 1,040,000 cars manufactured in the country in 2016 alone, the car industry represents 43 percent of Slovakia’s industrial output, and a quarter of its exports. Radiocarbon datingputs the oldest surviving archaeological artefacts from Slovakia – found near Nové Mesto nad Váhom – at 270,000 BC and these ancient tools, made by the Clactonian technique, bear witness to the ancient habitation of Slovakia. Other stone tools from the Middle Paleolithic era come from the Prévôt cave near Bojnice, the most important discovery from that era is a Neanderthal cranium, discovered near Gánovce, a village in northern Slovakia. The most well-known finds include the oldest female statue made of mammoth-bone, the statue was found in the 1940s in Moravany nad Váhom near Piešťany. Numerous necklaces made of shells from Cypraca thermophile gastropods of the Tertiary period have come from the sites of Zákovská, Podkovice, Hubina and these findings provide the most ancient evidence of commercial exchanges carried out between the Mediterranean and Central Europe. The Bronze Age in the territory of modern-day Slovakia went through three stages of development, stretching from 2000 to 800 BC

2.
Rytmus
–
Patrik Vrbovský, better known by his stage name Rytmus, is a Slovak rapper, pop reciter, and founder of the group Kontrafakt. He is known as one of the most vulgar and cliched mainstream rappers in Slovakia and his first solo album, Bengoro, was released in 2006, followed by Král in 2009 and Fenomén in 2011. The mass popularity of Rytmus largely results from his appearances as a judge on the talent shows Česko Slovenská Superstar, Kontrafakt - E. R. A Bengoro Kontrafakt - Bozk na rozlúčku Si zabil Král Fenomén Jediný čo hreší Kontrafakt - Navždy Krstný otec

3.
Hip hop
–
Hip hop is a subculture and art movement developed by African-Americans and Latinos from the inner-city South Bronx neighbourhood in New York City in the late 1970s. Jamaican immigrant DJ Kool Herc also played a key role in developing hip hop music, at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, Herc mixed samples of existing records and DJed percussion breaks, mixing this music with his own Jamaican-style toasting to rev up the crowd and dancers. These youths mixed these influences with existing musical styles associated with African Americans prior to the 1970s, Hip hop music became popular outside of the African-American community in the late 1980s, with the mainstream commercial success of gangsta rap. Critic Greg Tate described the hip hop movement as the only avant-garde still around, Hip hop culture has spread to both urban and suburban communities throughout the United States and subsequently the world. These elements were adapted and developed considerably, particularly as the art spread to new continents and merged with local styles in the 1990s. Sampling older culture and re-using it in a new context or a new format is called flipping in hip hop culture. Hip hop music follows in the footsteps of earlier African-American-rooted musical genres such as blues, jazz, rag-time, funk, cowboy later worked the hip hop cadence into his stage performance. The group frequently performed with artists who would refer to this new type of music by calling them hip hoppers. The name was meant as a sign of disrespect, but soon came to identify this new music. The song Rappers Delight, by The Sugarhill Gang, released in 1979, begins with the phrase I said a hip, hop the hippie the hippie to the hip hip hop, and you dont stop. Lovebug Starski, a Bronx DJ who put out a single called The Positive Life in 1981, and DJ Hollywood then began using the term when referring to this new disco rap music. Bill Alder, an independent consultant, once said, There was hardly ever a moment when rap music was underground, one of the very first so-called rap records, was a monster hit. Hip hop pioneer and South Bronx community leader Afrika Bambaataa also credits Lovebug Starski as the first to use the hip hop. Bambaataa, former leader of the Black Spades gang, also did much to popularize the term. In the 1970s, an urban movement known as Hip Hop began to develop in the South Bronx in New York City. It focused on emceeing over breakbeats, house parties and neighbourhood block party events, Hip hop music has been a powerful medium for protesting the impact of legal institutions on minorities, particularly police and prisons. Jamaican-born DJ Clive Kool Herc Cindy Campbell pioneered the use of DJing percussion breaks in hip hop music, beginning at Hercs home in a high-rise apartment at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, the movement later spread across the entire borough. Herc created the blueprint for hip hop music and culture by building upon the Jamaican tradition of impromptu toasting, on August 11,1973 DJ Kool Herc was the DJ at his sisters back-to-school party

4.
Breakdancing
–
B-boying or breaking, also called breakdancing, is a style of street dance that originated primarily among Puerto Rican and African American youths during the mid-1970s in the Bronx. The dance spread worldwide due to popularity in the media, especially in such as Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, South Korea. While diverse in the amount of variation available in the dance, b-boying consists of four kinds of movement, toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes. B-boying is typically danced to hip-hop, funk music, and especially breakbeats, although modern trends allow for much wider varieties of music along certain ranges of tempo, a practitioner of this dance is called a b-boy, b-girl, or breaker. Although the term breakdance is frequently used to refer to the dance in culture and in the mainstream entertainment industry. These terms are preferred by the majority of the pioneers and most notable practitioners, instead of the term b-boying, the mainstream media promoted the artform as breakdancing, causing many to only know it as such. Enthusiasts consider breakdancing an ignorant and derogatory term due to the exploitation of the artform. The media displayed a simplified version of the dance, making it seem like the so-called “tricks” were everything, ultimately trading the culture for money and promotion. The dance itself is properly called breaking according to such as KRS-One, Talib Kweli, Mos Def. The terms b-boy, b-girl, and breaker are the terms used to describe the dancers who performed to DJ Kool Hercs breakbeats. DJ Kool Herc is a Jamaican-American DJ who is responsible for developing the foundational aspects of hip-hop music, the obvious connection of the term breaking is to the word breakbeat. DJ Kool Herc has commented that the term breaking was 1970s slang for getting excited, most breaking pioneers and practitioners prefer the terms b-boy, b-girl, and/or breaker when referring to these dancers. For those immersed in culture, the term breakdancer may be used to disparage those who learn the dance for personal gain rather than for commitment to the culture. B-boy London of the New York City Breakers and filmmaker Michael Holman refer to these dancers as breakers, frosty Freeze of the Rock Steady Crew says, we were known as b-boys, and hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa says, b-boys, what you call break boys. Or b-girls, what you call break girls, many elements of b-boying can be seen in other antecedent cultures prior to the 1970s. B-boy pioneers Richard Crazy Legs Colon and Kenneth Ken Swift Gabbert, many of b-boyings acrobatic moves, such as the flare, show clear connections to gymnastics. The engraving shows a man apparently B-boying. The dance was called the Giesse Harad Polska or salmon district dance, a young street dancer performing acrobatic headspins was recorded by Thomas Edison in 1898

5.
Turntablism
–
The mixer is plugged into a PA system for live events and/or broadcasting equipment (if the DJ is performing on radio, TV or Internet radio, so that a wider audience can hear the turntablists music. Turntablists typically use two or more turntables and headphones to cue up desired start points on different records, the word turntablist was originated by Luis DJ Disk Quintanilla. The new term coincided with the resurgence of hip-hop DJing in the 1990s, some turntablists use turntable techniques like beat mixing/matching, scratching, and beat juggling. Some turntablists seek to have recognized as traditional musicians capable of interacting and improvising with other performers. The use of the turntable as an instrument has its roots dating back to the 1930s, 1940s. Experimental composers used them to sample and create music that was produced by the turntable. Cages Imaginary Landscape No.1 is composed for two variable speed turntables, frequency recordings, muted piano and cymbal, edgard Varèse experimented with turntables even earlier in 1930, though he never formally produced any works using them. Examples of turntable effects can also be found on popular records produced in the 1960s and 1970s, creedence Clearwater Revivals 1968 self-titled debut album features a backspin effect in the song Walk on the Water. However, turntablism as it is known today did not surface until the development of hip hop in the late 1970s, Turntablism as a modern art form and musical practice has its roots within African-American inner city hip hop and hip hop culture of the late 1970s. Kool DJ Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash are widely credited for having cemented the now established role of DJ as hip hops foremost instrumentalist. Kool Hercs invention of break-beat DJing is generally regarded as the development in hip hop history. His influence on the concept of DJ as turntablist is equally profound, to understand the significance of this achievement, it is important to first define the break. Briefly, the break of a song is a musical fragment only seconds in length, Kool Herc introduced the break-beat technique as a way of extending the break indefinitely. This is done by buying two of the record, finding the break on each record, and switching from one to the other using the DJ mixer. Using that idea, Grandmaster Flash elaborated on Kool Hercs invention of break-beat DJing and came up with the quick-mix theory and he described it as being. like cutting, the backspin, and the double-back. Kool Hercs revolutionary techniques set the course for the development of turntablism as an art form in significant ways, most important, however, he developed a new form of DJing that did not consist of just playing and mixing records one after the other. The type of DJ that specializes in mixing a set is well respected for his/her own set of unique skills, the DJ would be examined critically by the crowd on both a technical and entertainment level. Grand Wizzard Theodore, an apprentice of Flash, who isolated the most recognizable technique of turntablism, [ Eshun

6.
Graffiti
–
Graffiti are writing or drawings that have been scribbled, scratched, or painted illicitly on a wall or other surface, often within public view. Graffiti range from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and they have existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, in modern times, paint and marker pens have become the most commonly used graffiti materials. In most countries, marking or painting property without the property owners permission is considered defacement and vandalism, Graffiti may also express underlying social and political messages and a whole genre of artistic expression is based upon spray paint graffiti styles. Within hip hop culture, graffiti have evolved alongside hip hop music, b-boying, unrelated to hip-hop graffiti, gangs use their own form of graffiti to mark territory or to serve as an indicator of gang-related activities. Controversies that surround graffiti continue to create disagreement amongst city officials, law enforcement, both graffiti and its occasional singular form graffito are from the Italian word graffiato. Graffiti is applied in art history to works of art produced by scratching a design into a surface, a related term is sgraffito, which involves scratching through one layer of pigment to reveal another beneath it. This technique was used by potters who would glaze their wares. In ancient times graffiti were carved on walls with a sharp object, the word originates from Greek γράφειν — graphein — meaning to write. The term graffiti referred to the inscriptions, figure drawings, and such, found on the walls of ancient sepulchres or ruins, use of the word has evolved to include any graphics applied to surfaces in a manner that constitutes vandalism. Safaitic dates from the first century BC to the fourth century AD, the first known example of modern style graffiti survives in the ancient Greek city of Ephesus. Local guides say it is an advertisement for prostitution, located near a mosaic and stone walkway, the graffiti shows a handprint that vaguely resembles a heart, along with a footprint and a number. This is believed to indicate that a brothel was nearby, with the handprint symbolizing payment, the ancient Romans carved graffiti on walls and monuments, examples of which also survive in Egypt. Graffiti in the world had different connotations than they carry in todays society concerning content. One inscription gives the address of a woman named Novellia Primigenia of Nuceria, another shows a phallus accompanied by the text, mansueta tene. Etched on the surface of the Mirror Wall, they contain pieces of prose, poetry, the majority of these visitors appear to have been from the elite of society, royalty, officials, professions, and clergy. There were also soldiers, archers, and even some metalworkers, the topics range from love to satire, curses, wit, and lament. Many demonstrate a high level of literacy and a deep appreciation of art. Most of the graffiti refer to the frescoes of semi-nude females found there, one reads, Among the ancient political graffiti examples were Arab satirist poems

7.
Rapping
–
The components of rapping include content, flow, and delivery. Rap differs from spoken-word poetry in that rap is performed in time to a beat. Rapping is often associated with and an ingredient of hip-hop music. Rapping is also used in Kwaito music, a genre originated in Johannesburg, South Africa. Another form of rap that predates hip hop was boxer Muhammad Alis rhythmic poetry used to taunt his opponents in the 1960s and 1970s, rapping can be delivered over a beat, typically provided by a DJ, turntablist or Beatboxer, or without accompaniment. Stylistically, rap occupies an area between speech, prose, poetry, and singing. The word, as used to describe quick speech or repartee, the word had been used in British English since the 16th century. It was part of the African American dialect of English in the 1960s meaning to converse, today, the terms rap and rapping are so closely associated with hip-hop music that many writers use the terms interchangeably. The English verb rap has various meanings, such as to strike, especially with a quick, smart, or light blow, as well to utter sharply or vigorously, to rap out a command. The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary gives a date of 1541 for the first recorded use of the word with the meaning to utter sharply, vigorously and it is these meanings from which the musical form of rapping derives, and this definition may be from a shortening of repartee. A rapper refers to a performer who raps, by the late 1960s, when Hubert G. Brown changed his name to H. Rap was used to describe talking on records as early as 1971, on Isaac Hayes album Black Moses with track names such as Ikes Rap, Ikes Rap II, Ikes Rap III, Hayes husky-voiced sexy spoken raps became key components in his signature sound. Del the Funky Homosapien similarly states that rap was used to refer to talking in a manner in the early 1970s. Back then what rapping meant, basically, was you trying to convey something—youre trying to convince somebody, thats what rapping is, its in the way you talk. Rapping can be traced back to its African roots, centuries before hip-hop music existed, the griots of West Africa were delivering stories rhythmically, over drums and sparse instrumentation. Such connections have been acknowledged by modern artists, modern day griots, spoken word artists, mainstream news sources. Grammy-winning blues musician/historian Elijah Wald and others have argued that the blues were being rapped as early as the 1920s, Wald went so far as to call hip hop the living blues. A notable recorded example of rapping in blues music was the 1950 song Gotta Let You Go by Joe Hill Louis, not just jazz music and lyrics but also jazz poetry

8.
Beatboxing
–
Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines using ones mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also involve vocal imitation of turntablism, and other musical instruments, beatboxing today is connected with hip-hop culture, often referred to as the fifth element of hip-hop, although it is not limited to hip-hop music. The term beatboxing is sometimes used to refer to vocal percussion in general, examples include the Appalachian technique of eefing and the blues song Bye bye bird by Sonny Boy Williamson II. Many well-known performers used vocal percussion occasionally, even though this was not directly connected to the tradition that came to be known as beatboxing. Paul McCartneys That Would Be Something includes vocal percussion, pink Floyds Pow R. Toc H. also includes vocal percussion performed by the groups lead vocalist Syd Barrett. Jazz singers Bobby Mcferrin and Al Jarreau were very known for their vocal styles and techniques which have had great impact on techniques beatboxers use today. The term beatboxing is derived from the mimicry of the first generation of drum machines, Human beatboxing in hip-hop originated in the 1980s. Its early pioneers include Doug E. Wise inspired a new fan base of human beatboxers with his human turntable technique. The Internet has played a part in the popularity of modern beatboxing. Alex Tew started the first online community of beatboxers in 2000 under the banner of HUMANBEATBOX. COM, in 2001, Gavin Tyte, a member of this community created the worlds first tutorials and video tutorials on beatboxing. In 2003, the community held the worlds first Human Beatbox Convention in London featuring beatbox artists from all over the world, beatboxings current popularity is due in part to releases from artists such as Rahzel, RoxorLoops, Reeps One, and Alem. Sometimes, modern beatboxers will use their hand or another part of their body to extend the spectrum of sound effects and rhythm. Some have developed a technique that involves blowing and sucking air around their fingers to produce a realistic record scratching noise. Another hand technique includes the throat tap which involves the beatboxer tapping their fingers against their throat as they sing or hum. Today there is an increase in the variety in which we see beatboxing throughout musical culture, people have gone as far as adding beatboxing in with different instruments to create a completely different sound unlike any other. Artist Greg Patillo goes as far as adding in beatboxing while playing the flute to very iconic songs, Beatbox has become modernized and has even been seen in popular movies such as Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2. Beatbox Battle Network was founded in summer 2002 in Berlin, Germany as a non profit organization with the focus to support the global beatboxing community. It is specialized on culture marketing, live broadcasting and artist management, bBB3TV also known as Beatbox Battle Television produces the Beatbox Beatbox World Championship

9.
Hip-hop dance
–
Hip-hop dance refers to street dance styles primarily performed to hip-hop music or that have evolved as part of hip-hop culture. It includes a range of styles primarily breaking, locking. The television show Soul Train and the 1980s films Breakin, Beat Street, the dance industry responded with a commercial, studio-based version of hip-hop—sometimes called new style—and a hip-hop influenced style of jazz dance called jazz-funk. Classically trained dancers developed these studio styles in order to choreograph from the dances that were performed on the street. Because of this development, hip-hop dance is practiced in both studios and outdoor spaces. 1980s films, television shows, and the Internet have contributed to introducing hip-hop dance outside of the United States, since being exposed, educational opportunities and dance competitions have helped maintain its presence worldwide. Europe hosts several international hip-hop competitions such as the UK B-Boy Championships, Juste Debout, Australia hosts a team-based competition called World Supremacy Battlegrounds and Japan hosts a two-on-two competition called World Dance Colosseum. What distinguishes hip-hop from other forms of dance is that it is often freestyle in nature, crews, freestyling, and battles are identifiers of this style. Hip-hop dance can be a form of entertainment or a hobby and it can also be a way to stay active in competitive dance and a way to make a living by dancing professionally. Hip-hop dance is a category that includes a variety of styles. The older dance styles that were created in the 1970s include uprock, breaking, breaking was created in The Bronx, New York, incorporating dances that were popular in the 1960s and early 1970s in African-American and Latino communities. In its earliest form, it began as elaborations on James Browns Good Foot dance which came out in 1972, breaking at this period was not primarily floor-oriented as seen today, it started out as toprock which dancers perform while standing up. An influence on toprock was uprock which was created in Brooklyn, uprock looks similar to toprock, but it is more aggressive and looks like a fight. Uprock is also performed with partners, but in toprock—and in breaking in general—each person takes turns dancing, in 1973, DJ Kool Herc invented the break beat. A break beat is a rhythmic, musical interlude of a song that has been looped over and over again to extend that instrumental solo, Kool Herc did this to provide a means for dancers who attended his parties to demonstrate their skills. B-boy and b-girl stands for break-boy and break-girl, b-boys and b-girls dance to the break of a record, further influenced by martial arts and gymnastics, breaking went from being a purely upright dance style—toprock only—to becoming more floor-oriented. At the same time breaking was developing in New York, other styles were being created in California, out of all of these dances, boogaloo is one of the oldest. It started out as a 1960s fad dance and was the subject of songs released during that time such as Do the Boogaloo

10.
Hip hop fashion
–
Each city contributed various elements to its overall style seen worldwide today. Hip hop fashion complements the expressions and attitudes of hip hop culture in general, Hip hop fashion has changed significantly during its history, and today, it is a prominent part of popular fashion as a whole across the world and for all ethnicities. In the late 1970s, established sportswear and fashion brands, such as Le Coq Sportif, Kangol, Adidas and Pro-Keds attached themselves to the emerging hip hop scene. During the 1980s, hip-hop icons wore clothing items such as brightly colored name-brand tracksuits, sheepskin and leather jackets, Clarks shoes. Popular haircuts ranged from the early-1980s Jheri curl to the early-1990s hi-top fade popularized by Will Smith and Christopher Kid Reid of Kid n Play, popular accessories included large eyeglasses, Kangol bucket hats, nameplates, name belts, and multiple rings. Heavy gold jewelry was popular in the 1980s, heavy jewelry in general would become an enduring element of hip hop fashion. In general, mens jewelry focused on gold chains and womens jewelry on large gold earrings. The heavy jewelry was suggestive of prestige and wealth, and some have connected the style to Africanism, the famous rapper, Jay Z also echoed the same words O’Neal talks about. It is not necessarily because of consumption that the hip-hop lifestyle brought in these high end fashion products. In addition, the Preppy looks also caught onto 80s youth in the first wave of hip-hop influence, the immense popularity of the brand, Tommy Hilfiger among the hip-hop subculture community then led to the global expansion of the brand. Hip-hop has also adopted and then transformed traditional or “old world” luxury symbols and made them modern-day, rapper LL Cool J wore a Kangol hat back in the 1980s, when few Americans knew anything about the European hat maker—but its association with hip-hop would invigorate the brand. In 2003, London-based Kangol even acknowledged the popularity given its sixty-year-old brand by a young LL Cool J in 1983, black nationalism was increasingly influential in rap during the late 1980s, and fashions and hairstyles reflected traditional African influences. Blousy pants were popular among dance-oriented rappers like M. C, in the early 1990s, pop rappers such as The Fresh Prince, Kid n Play, and Left Eye of TLC popularized baseball caps and bright, often neon-colored, clothing. TLC and late R&B singer Aaliyah created a trend among women. Wearing over-sized pants and big flannel shirts, they would couple the over-sized clothing with a shirt usually a sports bra underneath their big shirts. This was to show their own version of femininity, everything does not have to be form fitting, kris Kross also established the fad of wearing clothes backwards. Kwamé sparked the trend of polka-dot clothing as well, while others continued wearing their mid-1980s attire. Gangsta rap pioneers N. W. A popularized a form of street Gangsta style in the late 1980s from the African American Gangs

11.
Hip hop music
–
It developed as part of hip hop culture, a subculture defined by four key stylistic elements, MCing/rapping, DJing/scratching with turntables, break dancing, and graffiti writing. Other elements include sampling beats or bass lines from records, while often used to refer solely to rapping, hip hop more properly denotes the practice of the entire subculture. Hip hops early evolution occurred as sampling technology and drum machines became available and affordable. Turntablist techniques such as scratching and beatmatching developed along with the breaks and Jamaican toasting, rapping developed as a vocal style in which the artist speaks or chants along rhythmically with an instrumental or synthesized beat. The Sugarhill Gangs 1979 song Rappers Delight is widely regarded to be the first hip hop record to gain popularity in the mainstream. The 1980s marked the diversification of hip hop as the genre developed more complex styles, prior to the 1980s, hip hop music was largely confined within the United States. However, during the 1980s, it began to spread to scenes in dozens of countries. New school hip hop was the wave of hip hop music, originating in 1983–84 with the early records of Run-D. M. C. The Golden age hip hop period was a period between the mid-1980s and the early 1990s. Notable artists from this era include the Juice Crew, Public Enemy, & Rakim, Boogie Down Productions and KRS-One, EPMD, Slick Rick, Beastie Boys, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Ultramagnetic MCs, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest. Gangsta rap is a subgenre of hip hop that often focuses on the violent lifestyles, in the West Coast hip hop style, G-funk dominated mainstream hip hop for several years during the 1990s. I. G. In the 1990s, hip hop began to diversify with other regional styles emerging, such as Southern rap, at the same time, hip hop continued to be assimilated into other genres of popular music, examples being Neo soul and nu metal. Hip hop became a pop music genre in the mid-1990s. The popularity of hip hop music continued through the 2000s, with hip hop influences also increasingly finding their way into mainstream pop, the United States also saw the success of regional styles such as crunk, a Southern genre that emphasized the beats and music more than the lyrics. Starting in 2005, sales of hip hop music in the United States began to severely wane, during the mid-2000s, alternative hip hop secured a place in the mainstream, due in part to the crossover success of artists such as OutKast and Kanye West. Creation of the hip hop is often credited to Keith Cowboy, rapper with Grandmaster Flash. However, Lovebug Starski, Keith Cowboy, and DJ Hollywood used the term when the music was known as disco rap. Cowboy later worked the hip hop cadence into a part of his stage performance, the first use of the term in print was in The Village Voice, by Steven Hager, later author of a 1984 history of hip hop

12.
Hip-hop theater
–
Hip-hop theater is a form of theater that presents contemporary stories through the use of one or more of the four elements of hip-hop culture—b-boying, graffiti writing, MCing, and DJing. Other cultural markers of such as spoken word, beatboxing. What is most important is the language of the theatrical piece, hip-hop theater productions appear in a wide range of platforms including single performances, week-long festivals, and traveling repertory companies. Marc Bamuthi Joseph is a spoken word poet and dancer who has been commissioned several times to create. British choreographer Jonzi D is the director of the London-based Breakin Convention. Rennie Harris, Mourad Merzouki, and Victor Quijada are artistic directors who run hip-hop theater companies in the U. S. France, the Rock Steady Crew, Magnificent Force, and the Rhythm Technicians pioneered this theatrical genre which started in the United States. Though hip-hop culture has managed to establish itself on film, on television, in fashion, in music, stage productions are few in number but growing. The first hip-hop stage shows were 1990s off Broadway musical So, what Happens Now. and 1995s Jam on the Groove which were co-authored, co-directed, and co-choreographed by Jorge Popmaster Fabel Pabon and Steffan Mr. Wiggles Clemente. Rock Steady Crew, Magnificent Force, and the Rhythm Technicians performed in both shows, aside from the pioneers in New York City was Lorenzo Rennie Harris Puremovement hip-hop theater company which Harris founded in 1992 in Philadelphia. The company has toured all over the world showcasing its original works such as March of the Antmen, P-Funk, Endangered Species, Facing Mekka, Other hip-hop theater companies were founded in the 1990s. Compagnie Käfig is a French hip-hop theater company of mostly Algerian descent founded in 1995 by Mourad Merzouki and their performances mix standard b-boying, locking, and popping with capoeira, mime, and gymnastics. They use the fusion in music by mixing rap music with classical music. While on tour in the U. S. they performed at Jacobs Pillow in Massachusetts, Bintou Dembélé, whom is recognized as one of the pioneer in French hip hop, performed at the Joyce Theater in New York with Mourad Merzoukis danse compagnie Käfig in 2002. In 2002, she created her own dance compagnie, which she describes as being inspired by Pina Bauschs notion of danced theater. In 2014, she created a show untitled Z. H which, by raising and exploring the issue of human zoos questions French racism. More broadly, Bintou Dembélés dance aims to unsettle her audience and interrogate its relation to the Other, to the different, to the other, to relativity and time. The Groovaloos are a hip-hop theater company based in Los Angeles that was founded by Bradley Shooz Rapier and they started out in 1999 as a dance crew and eventually developed a stage show called Groovaloo that is a series of stories based on the true life experiences of the dancers. Company members include Edmundo Poe One Loayza, Rynan Kid Rainen Paguio from JabbaWockeeZ, rUBBERBANDance Group was founded in 2002 in Montreal by Los Angeles native Victor Quijada

13.
Five-Percent Nation
–
Specifically, Clarence 13X denied that the Nations biracial founder Wallace Fard Muhammad was Allah and instead taught that the black man was himself God personified. Initially, the Nation of God and Earth, as it is today, was viewed as little more than an offshoot of the Nation of Islam. The New York City areas of Harlem and Brooklyn were named after notable Islamic cities by members of the organization, other areas include Detroit, New Jersey, Chicago, Queens, Connecticut, St. Louis, Seattle, and Dallas. The Nation of God and Earth teaches that people are the original people of the planet Earth. The Nation teaches that Supreme Mathematics and Supreme Alphabet, a set of principles created by Clarence 13X, is the key to understanding humankinds relationship to the universe. The Nation does not believe in a mystery God but instead teaches that the Asiatic Blackman is God and his name is Allah. The Nation of God and Earth was founded by Clarence 13X after he left the Nation of Islams Temple Number Seven in Harlem and that same year Clarence met James Howell, a sea merchant, who would later become Justice, and Clarences closest associate until his death. Clarence proselytized the streets of Harlem to teach others his views based on his interpretation of NOI teachings, after failing to reach elder adults whom he saw as already set in their ways, he found success with street youth. On October 10,1964, this group formed the First Nine Born of what became known as the Five Percent Nation, or later the Nation of Gods. In December of that year, Clarence was shot in a basement gambling den called the Hole, after surviving the shooting, he assumed the name Allah, and, according to some, boasted that he was immortal. He taught the 120 Lessons to his followers, but instead of teaching them to be Muslims. The women who came into Clarence 13Xs growing movement to study along with the males were taught they were symbolic of the planet Earth, in this system, the numbers from one to nine, and zero all represent principles and concepts. Coming together to discuss the Supreme Mathematics is the most fundamental regimen of the NGE, whenever members meet, they discuss about the Supreme Mathematics and 120 Lessons and relate them to life. Representatives of the Nation of God and Earth view themselves as their own God, Gods and Earths sometimes refer to themselves as scientists, implying their search for knowledge and proof. According to the Five Percenter Newspaper, God first means that it is no longer a judicial argument, culture is the practices and principles of a people at any given time. The teachings of the Nation of God and Earth are passed on through an oral tradition. The 10% can also include the governments of the world that deceive, the remaining 5% are the Poor Righteous Teachers—those who do not subscribe to the teachings of the 10%, as they know and teach that God is the Asiatic Blackman. The Supreme Mathematics is a system of understanding numerals alongside concepts, the Supreme Mathematics is thought to be the highest system of numerology in the NGE, used to give qualitative value to numbers in addition to quantity

14.
Old-school hip hop
–
Old-School Hip Hop describes the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music, and the music in the period preceding it from which it was directly descended. Old school hip hop is said to have ended around 1984 due to changes in both rapping technique and the music and rhythms. It is characterized by the simpler rapping techniques of the time, old-school hip hop is noted for its relatively simple rapping techniques compared to later hip-hop music. Artists such as Melle Mel would use few syllables per bar of music, with simple rhythms, much of the subject matter of old school hip hop centers around partying and having a good time. In the book How to Rap, Immortal Technique explains how party content played a big part in old school hip hop, hip-hop was born in an era of social turmoil, in the same way that slaves used to sing songs on a plantation. Thats the party songs that we used to have, as mentioned earlier, a notable exception is the song The Message, which was written, produced and mainly rapped by Duke Bootee. It was offered to Grandmaster Flash and he turned it down, citing that no one wanted to hear reality, Melle Mel however contacted Duke Bootee afterward and expressed that he did want to take part. Melle Mel rapped the verse he rapped in 1979s Super Rappin on the Message, once the song was completed it was released under the banner of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five in order to give it some credibility. The song was a hit and introduced social commentary to hip hop, Duke Bootee solely produced and rapped The Message II with Melle Mel again in 1983. Battle rap was also a part of the old school hip hop aesthetic, while discussing battle rapping, Esoteric said, a lot of my stuff stems from old school hip-hop, braggadocio ethic. A famous old school hip hop battle occurred in December 1981 when Kool Moe Dee challenged Busy Bee Starski. Busy Bee Starskis defeat by the more complex raps of Kool Moe Dee meant that no longer was an MC just a crowd-pleasing comedian with a tongue, he was a commentator. KRS-One also credits this as creating a shift in rapping in the documentary Beef, sci-Fi/Afrofuturism was another theme introduced into hip hop. The release of Planet Rock in 1982 was a game changer, the combination of electronic percussive propulsion and Afrika Bambaataas rap sounded like an orchestra being rocketed into outer space. Light Years Away, by Warp 9, produced and written by Lotti Golden and Richard Scher, a cornerstone of early 80s beatbox afrofuturism, Light Years Away, is characterized as a brilliantly spare and sparse piece of electro hip-hop traversing inner and outer space. Freestyle rap during hip-hops old school era was defined differently than it is today, Kool Moe Dee refers to this earlier definition in his book, Theres a God on the Mic, There are two types of freestyle. Theres an old-school freestyle thats basically rhymes that youve written that may not have anything to do with any subject or that all over the place. Then theres freestyle where you come off the top of the head, in old school hip hop, Kool Moe Dee says that improvisational rapping was instead called coming off the top of the head

15.
New school hip hop
–
The new school of hip hop was a movement in hip hop music starting 1983–84 with the early records of Run–D. M. C. and LL Cool J. Like the hip hop preceding it, it came predominantly from New York City, the new school was initially characterized in form by drum machine led minimalism, often tinged with elements of rock. It was notable for taunts and boasts about rapping, and socio-political commentary, in image as in song its artists projected a tough, cool, street b-boy attitude. These elements contrasted sharply with the funk and disco influenced outfits, novelty hits, live bands, synthesizers and party rhymes of artists prevalent in 1984, New school artists made shorter songs that could more easily gain radio play, and more cohesive LPs than their old school counterparts. By 1986 their releases began to establish the hip hop album as a fixture of the mainstream, hip-hop production became denser, rhymes and beats faster, as the drum machine was augmented with the sampler technology. Rakim took lyrics about the art of rapping to new heights, while KRS-One, native Tongues artists inclusive, sample-crowded music accompanied their positivity, Afrocentricity and playful energy. I. G. Coming to dominate the East Coast scene, the phrase leader of the new school, coined in hip hop by Chuck D in 1988, and presumably given further currency by the group with the exact name Leaders of the New School, remains popular. It has been applied to artists ranging from Jay-Z to Lupe Fiasco, elements of new school had existed in some form in the popular culture since hip-hops birth. This part of the culture was initiated by Kool DJ Herc in 1972 using breaks from James Brown, The Incredible Bongo Band, browns music—extensive vamps in which his voice was a percussive instrument with frequent rhythmic grunts, and with rhythm-section patterns. West African polyrhythms—was a keynote of hip hops early days, by 1975, Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa had taken up Kool Hercs breakbeat style of DJing, each with their own accompanying rappers. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and Grand Funk Railroads Inside Looking Out on unsuspecting b-boys, the earliest hip-hop records replaced the DJ with a live band playing funk and disco influenced tunes, or interpolating the tunes themselves, as in Rappers Delight and King Tim III. It was the soft, futuristic funk closely tied to disco that ruled hip hops early days on record, often though the rawer elements present in live shows did not make it past the recording studio. Bambaataas first records, for instance, two versions of Zulu Nation Throwdown, were recorded with just drums and rhymes, when Bambaataa heard the released records, a complete live band had been added. Likewise on the bootleg Live Convention 82, Grand Wizard Theodore cuts the first six bars of Rufus Thomass Do the Funky Penguin together for five and a half minutes while an MC raps over the top. Grandmaster Flashs Superrappin had a pumping syncopated rhythm and The Furious Five emulating his spinbacks and needle drops and chanting that that Flash is on the beatbox going. The beatbox itself however, a machine which Flash had added to his turntable set-up some time earlier, was absent on the record. Kool Moe Dees verbal personal attacks on Busy Bee Starski live at Harlem World in 1982 caused a sensation in hip hop circles. In the same way, groups like the Cold Crush Brothers and The Force MCs were known for their routines, competitive attitude, tapes of battles like these circulated widely, even without them becoming viable recordings

16.
Electro (music)
–
Electro is a genre of electronic music and early hip hop directly influenced by the use of the Roland TR-808 drum machines, and funk. This is the distinction between electro and previously prominent genres such as disco, in which the electronic sound was only part of the instrumentation. It also palpably deviates from its predecessor boogie for being less vocal-oriented, following the decline of disco music in the United States, electro emerged as a fusion of funk and New York boogie. Early hip hop and rap combined with German and Japanese electropop influences such as Kraftwerk, Planet Rock was followed later that year by another breakthrough electro record, Nunk by Warp 9. In 1983, Hashim created an electro funk sound which influenced Herbie Hancock, the early 1980s were electros mainstream peak. By the mid 1980s, the genre moved away from its electronic and funk influences, using harder edged beats and rock samples, Electro became popular again in the late 1990s with artists such as Anthony Rother and DJs such as Dave Clarke. A third wave of popularity occurred in 2007, Electro has branched out into subgenres, including Electrocore and Skweee, which developed in Sweden and Finland. From its inception, one of the characteristics of the electro sound was the use of drum machines, particularly the Roland TR-808. As the genre evolved, computers and sampling replaced drum machines in electronic music and it is important to note, that although the electro of the 1980s and contemporary electro both grew out of the dissolution of disco, they are now different genres. Classic electro drum patterns tend to be electronic emulations of breakbeats, with a kick drum. The difference between electro drumbeats and breakbeats is that electro tends to be mechanical, while breakbeats tend to have more of a human-like feel. The definition however is somewhat ambiguous in nature due to the uses of the term. The Roland TR-808 drum machine hit the market in 1980, defining early electro with its immediately recognizable sound, staccato, percussive drumbeats tended to dominate electro, almost exclusively provided by the TR-808. As an inexpensive way of producing a sound, the TR-808 caught on quickly with the producers of early electro because of the ability of its bass drum to generate extreme low-frequencies. This aspect of the Roland TR-808 was especially appealing to producers who would test drive their tracks in nightclubs and its unique percussion sounds like handclaps, open and closed high-hat, clave and cowbell became integral to the electro sound. A number of songs in the early 1980s employed the TR-808, including Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing, ” Cybotron’s “Clear, ” and Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock. ”The Roland TR-808 has attained iconic status. Through the use of samples, the Roland TR-808 remains popular in electro, most electro is instrumental, but a common element is vocals processed through a vocoder. Additionally, speech synthesis may be used to create robotic or mechanical lyrical content, as in the iconic Planet Rock, although primarily instrumental, early electro utilized rap

17.
Christian hip hop
–
Christian hip hop is hip hop music characterized by a Christian worldview, with the general purposes of evangelization, edifying some members of the church and/or simply entertaining. It emphasizes the use of positive and uplifting messages to promote faith, Christian hip hop, blending rhythmic music and faith-based lyrics, first emerged on record in 1982 with a track entitled Jesus Christ by Queens, New York artist McSweet. The first full-length, Christian hip hop album, Bible Break, other early Christian hip recording artists from the mid-1980s included P. I. D. who recorded to funky rock rhythms, as well as JC & the Boys and Michael Peace. The first notable full album released was Stephen Wileys Bible Break, written by Wiley, in the same year by David Guzman founded JC & The Boyz. Some of Americas premiere Christian rappers, such as, Michael Peace, SFC, Dynamic Twins, MC Peace, a more commercially successful crew known as P. I. D. Michael Peace is an American rapper and one of Christian raps first solo artists, in the late 1980s, other crews emerged, including dc Talk, E. T. W. and S. F. C. ETW was led by producer/artist Mike Hill who went on to one of the largest inner city youth groups in the country out of Tulsa Oklahoma. S. F. C. was led by Chris Cooper who originally rapped as Super C and later became Sup the Chemist, Christian emcee Danny D-Boy Rodriguez was another well-known early Gospel rap artist, but was murdered in 1990 in Texas. She would go on to release an album in 1991. The 1990s saw the trend of funky rap artists blending faith and rap, such as D. O. C. who emerged from Oklahoma as well as the Gospel Gangstaz from Compton. In 1991, JC Crew emerged featuring Maximillian and T-Bone, other Christian rap artists include Dynamic Twins, Freedom of Soul, IDOL King, Apocalypse, 12th Tribe, and Holy Alliance. 12th Tribe and Holy Alliance were produced by Scott Blackwell of MYX Records, S. F. C. s 1992 album Phase III was DJed and produced by DJ Dove, whose credits also include the Gang Affiliated, Gospel Gangstas 1993 debut album. Around the same time as Phase III, Dynamic Twins came out with their 1993 album No Room To Breathe, Freedom of Soul followed with their second album, The Second Coming, also their last album as a group. The label was among the first to market the Contemporary Christian music market through distribution at Christian bookstores and playing on Christian radio. This trend continued with other such as Tooth & Nails Uprok Records and others that gave an outlet to hip hop artists who identified themselves as Christian. Recently, a number of artists and labels such as Reach Records, Grace and Peace Records, Kirk Franklin joined with the 1 Nation Crew in the album Kirk Franklin Presents 1NC. In September 2009, the Higherground Record Pool and One Accord DJ Alliance held their first Gospel DJ Conference at the Crowne Plaza, Queens, the first known Gospel DJs were honored at the event. Kingdom Affiliates Record Pool also was represented at the conference, most recently Christian rap artists like Lecrae and his label-mates from Reach Records have been setting records with sales and award-winning albums

18.
Conscious hip hop
–
Political hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music that was developed in the 1980s as a way of turning rap music into a call for action and a form of social activism. Inspired by 1970s political preachers such as The Last Poets and musician Gil Scott-Heron and it has helped to create a new form of social expression for subordinate groups to speak about their exclusions, injustices and lack of power. Political hip hop is the use of hip hop music to send messages to inspire action or to convince the listener of a particular worldview. There is no all-encompassing political hip hop ideology, rather, there are perspectives that range anywhere from Libertarianism to the values of the Five Percent Nation. Conscious hip hop is not necessarily overtly political, but the two are used interchangeably. The term nation-conscious rap has been used to specifically describe hip hop music with strong political messages and themes. Themes of conscious hip hop include afrocentricity, religion, aversion to crime & violence, culture, songs expressing the theme of black pride include James Browns Say it Loud, and Billy Pauls Am I Black Enough for You. The ideals articulated by Gil Scott-Heron and other artists were not a reality, changes in predominant African-American musical genres were closely correlated with major transformations in the sociopolitical and economic environment for African Americans. One of the first socially conscious hip-hop songs was How We Gonna Make The Black Nation Rise. by Brother D with Collective Effort, furthermore, the complex sociopolitical issues before hip hop and during all of its stages severely influenced its birth and direction. Examples of conscious and political hip-hop music throughout the decades include Whodinis Growing Up, Kurtis Blow, early gangsta rap often showed significant overlap with political and conscious rap. Pioneers in the rap genre such as Ice-T, N. W. A. Ice-Ts work would focus on other topics, for example, he rapped about free speech on his third album. Ice Cubes first two albums were produced by the hip hop production team the Bomb Squad, known for their work with the rap group Public Enemy. Furthermore, Ice Cube produced and appeared on the controversial and radical political rap/gangsta rap album Guerillas in tha Mist by Da Lench Mob in the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, the artists who consistently produce conscious rap are largely underground. However, mainstream artists are increasingly including elements of conscious hip-hop in their songs, there are hundreds of artists whose music could be described as political or who identify as political rappers, see the List of Political hip hop artists page for a partial list. Hip Hops outreach to the world is widespread. From the onset of hip hop in the 80s throughout the 90s the culture was either ignored or criticized by politicians on both sides, there was one cultural idea that seemed to have bi-partisan support, that rap music was a symptom of the destruction of American values. This opinion, however, fails to recognize the oppression and injustices experienced by blacks and other minority groups which rap music

19.
Crunk
–
Crunk is a subgenre of hip hop music that emerged in the early 1990s and gained mainstream success during the mid 2000s. Performers of crunk music are sometimes referred to as crunkmeisters, Crunk is often up-tempo and one of Southern hip hops more dance and club oriented subgenres. An archetypal crunk track frequently uses a main groove consisting of layered keyboard synths, a drum rhythm, heavy basslines. The term crunk is also used as a term to denote any style of Southern hip hop. The word derives from its African-American slang past-participle form, crunk, the genre is almost always excessively sexual, profane, and obscene. The term has been attributed mainly to African-American slang, in which it holds various meanings and it most commonly refers to the verb phrase to crank up. In publications, crunk can be traced back to 1972 in the Dr. Seuss book Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now and he uses the term Crunk-Car without any given definition. The term has also traced to usage in the 1980s coming out of Atlanta, Georgia nightclubs. In the mid-1990s, crunk was variously defined either as hype, phat, rolling Stone magazine published glossary of Dirty South slang, where to crunk was defined as to get excited. The term was in part popularized on Late Night with Conan OBrien in 1993, though it was spelled differently, krunk became a recurring theme on the show between Conan and various guests. Ice-T was one of the first guests to use the word on air, as it was joked that the word was not offensive sounding enough, outkast has been attributed as the first artist to use the term in mainstream music, in the 1993 track Players Ball. Artist Lil Jon was instrumental in bringing the term further into the mainstream with his 1997 album titled Get Crunk, Who U Wit, Da Album. He later released songs and albums using the term, and has been credited by other artists. Lil Jon further popularized the word with his 2004 album Crunk Juice and this use of crunk became synonymous with the meaning crazy drunk. Non-alcoholic drinks, to which alcohol could be added, were manufactured and marketed under the Crunk brand name, the term has continued to evolve, taking on a negative stigma with police, parents and the media. In 2011, the company which manufactured Crunk drink brought out a version named Crunk Juice. The mainstream media began publishing stories in which the term crunk was used to refer to crazy, musically, crunk borrows heavily from bass music and 1980s-era call-and-response hip hop. Heavy use of synthesized instruments and sparse, truncated 808 drums are staples of the crunk sound, looped, stripped-down drum machine rhythms are usually used

20.
East Coast hip hop
–
East Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in the New York City area during the 1970s. In contrast to other styles, East Coast hip hop music has prioritized complex lyrics for attentive listening rather than beats for dancing, the main components of hip hop culture from that time and still today are MCing, DJing, break dancing, and graffiti. In contrast to the rhyme pattern and scheme utilized in old school hip hop. It has also characterized by multi-syllabic rhymes, complex wordplay. East Coast hip hop has a sound and style, it tends to gravitate to aggressive beats. The aggressive and hard-hitting beats of the form were emphasized by such acts as EPMD and Public Enemy, & Rakim, Boogie Down Productions, Big Daddy Kane, Nas, Notorious B. I. G and Slick Rick were noted for their lyrical skill. East coast hip hop is occasionally referred to as New York rap due to its origins, according to AllMusic, At the dawn of the hip-hop era, all rap was East Coast rap. Early artists of the form, including DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, the Sugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow, Jam Master Jay, pioneered East Coast hip hop during hip hops development. New York-based groups such as De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, later in 1992, Dr. Dres G-Funk record The Chronic would introduce West Coast hip hop to the mainstream. Along with an ability to retain its primary function as party music. Although G-Funk was the most popular variety of hip hop during the early 1990s, during this period, several New York City rappers rising from the local underground scene, began releasing noteworthy albums in the early and mid nineties. Black Moons 1993 debut, Enta Da Stage, was one of the first major recordings to emerge from New Yorks hardcore hip hop scene. The album has been credited with helping spark trends that would come to characterize this period in East Coast hip hop. The Notorious B. I. G. became the figure in East Coast hip hop during most of the 1990s. His success on the charts and rise to the mainstream drew more attention to New York at the time of West Coast hip hops dominance. His commercial success helped pave the way for the success of other East Coast rappers such as Jay-Z, many hip hop aficionados look favorably upon this period as a time of creative growth and influential recordings, describing it as The East Coast Renaissance. Music writer May Blaize of MVRemix Urban comments on the nostalgia felt among hip hop fans for records released during this time, wu-Tang brought the ruckus with 36 Chambers. The world was ours when Nas released Illmatic, Big L, the MVP, came out with Lifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous

21.
Experimental hip hop
–
Experimental hip hop, also known as abstract hip hop, is a genre of hip hop that employs structural elements typically considered unconventional in traditional hip hop music. Some notable experimental hip hop record labels include Definitive Jux, Anticon, Big Dada, while most experimental hip hop incorporates turntablism and is produced electronically, some artists have introduced acoustic elements to the music to facilitate it being performed live. As a relatively young musical style, hip hop during this period was about new ideas, fueled by themes of Afrocentricity and political militancy, coupled with experimental music and sampling techniques, led to great of number of stylistic innovations. Experimental hip-hop production is highly eclectic, drawing influences from a vast array musical genres, along with elements of electronic music and dub, artists drew from other styles including rock, soul, reggae, classical, and jazz. In general, experimental hip-hop production builds and expands on the sounds of early 1990s hip hop artists such as Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, one influential pioneer of experimental hip-hop production is J Dilla or Jay Dee. J Dillas approach included an innovative use of sampling as well as non-quantized drum rhythms, J Dilla also rejected the hip hop convention of Quantization—or the mathematical gridding of precise rhythms via electronic means. J Dilla was also a pioneer for eschewing quantization. and instead performed rhythms by hand on the pads of an Akai Music Production Center and this technique gives his music more of a non-mechanical natural groove or swing, as a human behind a real drum kit might play. Some producers influenced by J Dillas approach include Madlib, Flying Lotus, Karriem Riggins, while some experimental hip-hop follows the traditional use quantized rhythms, the vast majority of it does not. Other producers often cited as influences on experimental hip hop include DJ Premier, 9th Wonder, Hi-Tek, Pete Rock, Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, and RZA. Left-field hip hop is a union of rap and electronica in which the emphasis is placed more on the producer than the rapper or emcee, left-field hip hop typically employs complex computerized equipment as well as incorporating live vocals and samples. Notable left-field albums include Kid Cudis Man on the Moon, cloud rap is a subgenre of experimental hip hop distinguished by ethereal, dreamlike beats, and abstract, sometimes deliberately absurd lyrics. Cloud rap producers often use unconventional samples that draw from ambient, indie, psychedelic hip hop is characterized by complex sample-based beats, often obscure material, and witty, abstract lyrics filled with unconventional far-out references. Early examples of style are some of the more sample-heavy late 1980s hip hop releases such as De la Souls 3 Feet High And Rising. A Tribe Called Quest Ab-Soul Aesop Rock Atmosphere A$AP Rocky Beastie Boys Beautiful Eulogy Big L Blu & Exile Capital Steez Chance the Rapper Childish Gambino Clams Casino clipping

22.
Gangsta rap
–
Gangsta rap or gangster rap is a subgenre of hip hop music with themes and lyrics that generally emphasize the gangsta lifestyle. After the national attention that Ice-T and N. W. A attracted in the late 1980s and early 1990s, gangsta rap became the most commercially lucrative subgenre of hip hop. Many gangsta rap artists openly boast of their associations with various street gangs as part of their artistic image, with the Bloods. Gangsta rap is closely related to other indigenous gang and crime-oriented forms of music, the subject matter inherent in gangsta rap has caused a great deal of controversy. The White House administrations of both George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton criticized the genre, many gangsta rappers argue that in the world of their genre exists the emotions and perspectives of a people whose suffering is too often overlooked and belittled by society. Gangsta rap, some argue, was an effect of the various wrongdoings perpetrated against African-Americans in underprivileged neighborhoods. The various riots sparked by the Rodney King beating and the acquittal of the officers responsible for the beating sparked anger. Gangsta rap acted as an outlet so such people could express themselves angrily and they often used gangsta rap to tell the stories of their lives, which sometimes included strong violence, hypersexuality, and drug abuse. The 1973 album Hustlers Convention by Lightnin Rod and Jaren Clark featured lyrics that deal with life, including pimping. Many rappers, such as Ice-T and Mac Dre, have credited pimp, rudy Ray Moores stand-up comedy and films based on his Dolemite hustler-pimp alter ego also influenced gangsta rap and are still a popular source for samples. Finally, blaxploitation films of the 1970s, with their depictions of black underworld figures, were a major inspiration as well. Tracy Ice-T Morrow, was born in Newark, New Jersey, as a teenager, he moved to Los Angeles where he rose to prominence in the West Coast hip hop scene. In 1986, Ice-T released 6 in the Mornin, which is regarded as among the first gangsta rap songs. In an interview with PROPS magazine, Ice-T said, Heres the exact order of what really went down. Then the syncopation of that rap was used by me when I made 6 in the Mornin, the vocal delivery was the same. P. S. K. is makin that green. six in the morning, police at my door. When I heard that record I was like Oh @#. *%, and call it a bite or what you will but I dug that record. My record didnt sound like P. S. K, but I liked the way he was flowing with it. P. S. K. was talking about Park Side Killers and that was the only difference, when Schoolly did it, it was. one by one, Im knockin em out

23.
Horrorcore
–
Horrorcore is a subgenre of hip hop music based on horror-themed and often darkly transgressive lyrical content and imagery. While exaggerated violence and the supernatural are common in horrorcore, the genre also frequently presents more realistic yet still disturbing portrayals of mental illness, the term horrorcore was popularized by openly horror-influenced hip hop groups such as Flatlinerz and Gravediggaz. The lyrics are inspired by horror movies over moody, hardcore beats. According to rapper Mars, If you take Stephen King or Wes Craven and you throw them on a rap beat, Horrorcore was described by Entertainment Weekly in 1995 as a blend of hardcore rap and bloodthirsty metal. The lyrical content of horrorcore is sometimes described as being similar to that of death metal, Horrorcore artists often feature dark imagery in their music videos and base musical elements of songs upon horror film scores. Following this were groups like Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, and songs like Dana Danes Nightmares, which spun more frightening, imaginative narratives. Since 1983, Ganxsta N. I. P. has performed horror-themed lyrics which he described as Psycho Rap, Ganxsta N. I. P. has written lyrics for other groups, including Geto Boys. While Kool Keith later claimed to have invented horrorcore, the first use of the term appeared on the group KMCs 1991 album Three Men With the Power of Ten and he said that the Geto Boys continued to pioneer the style with its second release, Grip It. On That Other Level, with such as Mind of a Lunatic. In 1994, according to Icons of Hip Hop, horrorcore gained prominence in 1994 with the release of Flatlinerz U. S. A. and Gravediggaz 6 Feet Deep. The genre is not popular with audiences as a whole, however, performers such as Insane Clown Posse. Also, horrorcore rapper Eminem sold millions of copies with his horrorcore albums The Slim Shady LP, the Slim Shady LP was certified 3x platinum in October 1999 and 4x platinum in November 2000. The Marshall Mathers LP sold 1,760,049 copies in its first week of being released and was certified diamond, Horrorcore has thrived in Internet culture and sustains an annual super show in Detroit called Wickedstock. Every Halloween since 2003, Horrorcore artists worldwide get together online, according to the January 2004 BBC documentary Underground USA, the subgenre has a massive following across the US and is spreading to Europe. Rolling Stone in 2007 referred to it as a trend that generated more shlock than shock. New York Magazine put horrorcore in the spotlight by listing off the ten most horrifying horrorcore rappers, spin asked Violent J of Insane Clown Posse to list off his favorite horrorcore songs. Songs included, The Dayton Familys Whats On My Mind, Bone Thugs-N-Harmonys Mr. Ouija, Necros Billie Jean 2005, and Michael Jacksons Thriller

24.
Midwest hip hop
–
Midwest hip-hop is hip-hop music performed by artists from the Midwestern United States. In contrast with its East Coast, West Coast and Southern counterparts and its first dose of national popularity came in the mid-90s with the extremely fast-paced rappers known as Choppers, such as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Twista, Tech N9ne, Atmosphere, and Eminem. Other notable midwest rappers and producers include, Brother Ali, Lupe Fiasco, Royce Da 59, J Dilla, Mac Lethal, Elzhi, Obie Trice, and up and comers Freddie Gibbs and Manny Phesto. It is because these lack of constants between acts from different cities that it can be difficult to define a typical Midwest sound. One characteristic of Midwest hip hop is that beat tempos can range from 90 to about 180, while East Coasts beat tempo is 90–120, West Coast is 100–120, slum Village emerged from the hip hop scene in Detroit in the mid-1990s. Their first album, Fantastic, Vol.1 came out in 1996, the producer was J Dilla, who also produced for notable hip-hop acts from around the country, including The Pharcyde, Common, and A Tribe Called Quest. He would later become one of the most sought-after producers in hip-hop, Blade Icewood gained respect as one of Detroits premier rappers, but was gunned down and murdered in 2005, after his first shooting which left him paralyzed from his chest down. He had a beef for some time with the Eastside Chedda Boyz, there was a dispute over the name Chedda Boyz because Blade Icewood claimed that name originated on the west side of the city. A popular place for rap battles in Detroit is the Hip Hop Shop, in the mid-1990s, Eminem gained notoriety in Detroit as a battle rapper, and released an album during the early stages of his underground career. Infinite was sold out of the trunk of his car and it struggled to sell or create a buzz despite his success in the battling scene. Angry but determined, Eminem developed his style and recorded The Slim Shady EP, released in 1997. When Em traveled to Los Angeles to compete in the 1997 Rap Olympics, he placed in 2nd, and his EP got into the hands of Dr. Dre, who immediately wanted to sign him. He signed to Dr. Dres Aftermath Entertainment, and in 1999 he released his debut album The Slim Shady LP. His second album, The Marshall Mathers LP, became the fastest selling hip hop album in history, MC Breed, from Flint, is most known for his songs Aint No Future in Yo Frontin and Gotta Get Mine featuring Tupac Shakur. He was on support for two days in September 2008 after he collapsed during a game of pick-up basketball due to kidney failure. It is unclear if prior health complications were the cause of his death later that year, another rapper from Flint, Jon Connor, is quickly climbing the rap ladder, has been featured in The Source, and has collaborated with many big names in the rap industry. Rapper Proof was also part of the Detroit-founded rap group D12, despite his success with D12, he also released two solo albums, Searching for Jerry Garcia and I Miss The Hip Hop Shop. On April 11,2006, he was shot to death in a gunfight at a Detroit nightclub

25.
Nerdcore
–
Nerdcore is a genre of hip hop music characterized by themes and subject matter considered to be of general interest to nerds. Self-described nerdcore musician MC Frontalot has the earliest known recorded use of the term in the 2000 song Nerdcore Hiphop, Frontalot, like most nerdcore artists, self-publishes his work and has released much of it for free online. As a niche genre, nerdcore generally holds to the DIY ethic, Music with similar themes, but different musical styles can be found in the filk genres. There are hip hop artists who have recorded compositions which focus on similar topics, conversely, one does not need to concentrate on those topics to be nerdcore, most of the songs by Frontalot do not focus narrowly on stereotypically nerdy topics. The difference is one of self-identification, the group Blackalicious does not identify as nerds. Being more defined by lyrics, nerdcore has no unifying musical sound, one common theme, especially in the early days of the genre, is uncleared sampling. MC Frontalot addressed this directly in his 1999 song Good Old Clyde, sources for samples in nerdcore range from Vanilla Ice to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. YTCrackers Nerdrap Entertainment System is an album made up primarily of samples from 8-bit Nintendo games. Another notable artist, Random, created a dedicated to the Mega Man video games in 2007 titled MegaRan. Several DJs have provided beats and done remixes for multiple artists, most notably Baddd Spellah. Spellah also won a competition in 2004. The earliest known recorded use of the term hip hop was in 2000 by MC Frontalot. Nerdcore had clear influences from geek culture as well, including geek rockers like They Might Be Giants, parodists like Weird Al Yankovic, and others. Despite these influences, nerdcore has separated itself from other types of nerdy music thanks to an unofficial list of criteria that has evolved among fans, aside from making hip hop about geeky things, nerdcore is considered to be an opt-in genre. Only artists who consider themselves to be nerdcore should have the attached to their music. In the summer of 2004 the fledgling genre took a step forward when the popular web comic Penny Arcade held its first convention, The Penny Arcade Expo, in Bellevue. Though the expo was primarily devoted to video and table top gaming, geek-friendly musicians also performed including Penny Arcades official rapper MC Frontalot, the next year, two full concerts took place at the 2005 Penny Arcade Expo and included nerdy hip hop acts MC Frontalot and Optimus Rhyme. After the 2005 expo, all three acts would have the nerdcore label permanently affixed to them, thanks to the popularity of these acts, the nerdcore fan base began to form and in some cases those fans would go on to become nerdcore artists themselves

Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music in a recording studio. While the term encompasses all aspects of …

Hip hop producer and rapper RZA in a music studio with two collaborators. Pictured in the foreground is a synthesizer keyboard and a number of vinyl records; both of these items are key tools that producers and DJs use to create hip hop "beats".